Remote control transmitter



July 31, 1962 J. KEMENY 3,046,933

REMOTE CONTROL TRANSMITTER Filed May 24, 1961 INVENTORI JULIUS KEMENY,

HIS ATTORNEY.

Unite States Patent 3,046,933 REMUTE CQNTROL TRANSMITTER Julius Kemeny, Liverpool, N.Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed May 24, 1961, Ser. No. 112,349 Claims. (Cl. 116-137) This invention relates to a mechanical transmitter for remote control systems and more particularly relates to the structure for actuating a mechanical transmitter.

Mechanical resonators of the type which consist of a rod of metallic material having a natural resonant frequency which transmits an ultrasonic signal by vibrating in a longitudinal mode when struck on an end thereof have been utilized for performing remote control functions. For performing such functions it is essential that the rod be struck sharp enough so that the amplitude of the signal transmitted will be large enough to actuate a remote receiver and further that the rod be damped sufficiently so that repetitive signals are not transmitted to keep actuating the receiver once actuation has already taken place. A variety of means have been used to strike and damp the rod to produce the desired result.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved actuating mechanism for a mechanical type resonator.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved mechanical transmitter which is mechanically simple and rugged yet inexpensive.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved mechanical transmitter in which the striking element also performs the damping function.

In carrying out this invention, a rod is mounted having a natural resonant frequency which is transmitted when the rod is struck by a hammer on one end thereof. As contemplated in this invention the hammer rests on the 3,345,933 Patented July 31, 162

28. The arm 27 has an extension 31 thereon which is linked by a spring 30 to the support 16 (see FIGURE 2). The slide 28 rests on the top of a receiver 36 which is mounted by a bracket 37 to the base 12. The receiver 36 carries a hammer 40 having a pin 50 thereon which is free to move in a slot 46 in the receiver 36 (see FIGURE 1) when the push-button 20 is actuated. The receiver end of the rod until actuated by a push-button. When the push-button is depressed the hammer moves in a horizontal plane, strikes the rod, and after a slight delay which is provided by the actuating structure, returns the hammer in contact with the rod to damp it and prevent further vibrations.

The invention, both as to organization and method of operation together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of the novel mechanical transmitter embodied in this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the mechanical transmitter shown in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the mechanical transmitter shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 showing the push-button in its activated position.

Referring now to the drawings, the mechanical transmitter embodied in this invention includes a vibrator or rod 10 having a natural resonant frequency. The rod 10 is mounted on a base 12 by a pair of support members 14 and 16 which house a clip 18. The clip 18 retains the rod 10 in a manner similar to that shown and described in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 112,350 which is assigned to the assignee of the present application. This type of mounting allows the rod 19 to vibrate freely in a longitudinal mode when struck on an end portion thereof.

The striking or actuating mechanism for the rod-type mechanical transmitter includes a push-button 20 mounted for pivotal movement about a bearing 23 which is carried by a pair of supports 22 and 24. The supports 22 and 24 are secured to the base member 12. The pushbutton 20 has an integral pair of legs 26 which are pivotally connected to a pair of arms 27 and 29 of a slide 36 also carries a bolt 34 having a pair of pins 32 which are free to move in a pair of slots 54 at the sides of the receiver as shown in FIGURE 2. The pins 32 and accordingly the bolt 34 are biased against the ends of the slots 54 by a spring 38 which is also housed in the receiver. The hammer 40 has a stud 44 thereon which passes through a channel in the bolt 34 and is held by a ring 51. A spring 48 is mounted on the stud 44 between the bolt 34 and the ring 51.

In operation when the push-button 20 is depressed, the pivotal movement of its legs 26 about bearing 23 forces the slide 28 back to the left in the drawing. At the same time the spring 39 is placed under tension as shown in FIGURE 3 and the slide 28 exerts a pressure against the pins 32 of the bolt 34. The bolt 34 is accordingly forced to the left in the receiver 36 thereby compressing spring 38. Since the hammer 40 is linked by its stud 44, ring 51 and spring 48 to the bolt 34, the hammer 40 moves with the bolt 34 in the receiver 36. As the slide 28 reaches the ramp 42, it rides up the ramp 42 until it reaches a height where the slide 28 goes over the top of the pins 32 of the bolt 34 which releases the slide 28. On disengagement of the slide 28 with the bolt 34, the spring 38 which has been compressed drives the bolt 34 and the hammer 40 forward. The pins 32 on the bolt 34 stop against the slot ends 54 in the sides of receiver 36 but inertia carries the hammer 4i forward until it strikes the vibrator or rod 10. Of course this blow sets up longitudinal vibrations in the rod 1% and the rod resonates at its natural resonant frequency. In moving forward the hammer 40 compresses the small spring 48 on the stud 44 of the hammer 40 which in turn retrieves the hammer 40 back against the bolt 34 once the initial blow is struck.

When the push-button 20 is released the spring which has been stretched as shown in FIGURE 3 pulls the slide 28 to the right over pins 32 and against pin 50 and the hammer 46 thereby forcing the hammer against the rod 10. The returning of the hammer which then stays in contact with rod 10 effectively dampens out longitudinal vibrations and at the same time returns the push-button 20 to its initial position.

The described structure provides an economical and novel means of striking a rod and dampening out the longitudinal vibrations produced therein by the initial sharp blow. The initial sharp blow to the rod 10 transmits a predetermined ultrasonic signal which may be used when picked up by a receiver to control electrical circuits. By having the hammer return a predetermined time after the rod is initially struck repetitive actuation of the remote function to be controlled is thereby pre vented without using separate or additional dampening means. This insures reliability in performance without the use of additional structure for performing the damping function.

As will be appreciated, more than one remote function can be controlled by duplicating the structure shown and using a plurality of rods all having different resonant frequencies. number of remote control functions to be performed.

Since other modifications varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not consid ered limited to the examples chosen for purposes of disclosure and covers all changes and modifications which The number of rods used will depend on the do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What! claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: l. A mechanical transmitter for use in a remote con-1 trolgsystem comprising a rod having anatural resonant frequency which is transmitted in a longitudinal mode when said rod is struck on an end thereof, a receiver positioned in alignment with respect to one end of said rod, a hammer mounted for axial movement in said receiver with the hammer being in contact with said one end of said rod, actuating means associated with said hammer for moving said hammer away from the end of said rod in said receiver, spring means associated with said hammer and being carried in said receiver for storing energy when said hammer is moved away from the end of said rod by said actuating means, means associated with said receiver for releasing said actuating means from said hammer after a predetermined movement of said hammer in said receiver thereby releasing the energy of said spring means to drive said hammer against the end of said rod, means associated with said hammer for retrieving said hammer after it has struck said rod, and means including said actuating means for returning said hammer to its initial position against the end of said rod to damp any further vibration of said rod. 2. 'A mechanical transmitter for use in a remote control system comprising a rod having a natural resonant frequency which is transmitted in a longitudinal mode when said rod is struck on an end thereof, a receiver positioned in alignment with respect to one end of said rod, a hammer mounted for axial movement in said receiver with the hammer being in contact with said one end of said rod, slide means associated with said hammer for moving said hammer away fromthe end of said rod in said receiver, spring means associated with said hammer being carried in said receiver for storing energy when said hammer is moved away from the end of said rod by said slide means, means mounted on said receiver for releasing said slide means from said hammer after a predetermined movement in said receiver thereby releasing the energy of said spring means to drive said hammer against theend of said rod, a second spring means in said receiver associated with said hammer for retrieving said hammer after it has struck said rod, and

means including said slide means for returning said hammer to its initial position against the end of said rod to damp any further vibration of said rod.

3. A mechanical transmitter for use in a remote control system comprising a rod having a natural resonant frequency, which is transmitted in a longitudinal mode when said rod is struck on an end thereof, a receiver positioned in alignment with respect to one end of said rod, a hammer mounted for axial movement in said receiver with the hammer being in contact with an end of said rod, a push-button, slide means associated with said hammer coupled to said push-button, means including said push-button and said slide means for moving said hammer away from the end of said rod in said receiver, spring means associated with said hammer being carried in said receiver for storing energy when said hammer is moved away from the end of said rod, means mounted on said receiver for releasing said slide means after a predetermined movement of said hammer in said receiver thereby releasing the energy of said spring means to drive said hammer against the endv of said rod, means in said receiver associated with said hammer for retrieving said hammer after it has struck said rod, and means coupled to said slide for returning said hammer to its initial position against the end of said rod to damp any further vibration of said rod.

4. A mechanical transmitter for use in a remote control system comprising a rod having a natural resonant frequency which is transmitted in a longitudinal mode when said rod is struck on an end thereof, a receiver positioned in alignment with on'e'end of said rod, a hammer having a pin thereon mounted for axial movement in said receiver with the hammer being in contact with said end of said rod, a bolt having a pair of pins thereon mounted on said hammer for axial movement in said receiver, a slide means riding on said receiver in contact with the pins on said bolt, a push-button coupled to said slide means for moving said hammer away from the end oi, said rod when said push-button is actuated, spring means associated with said hammer and carried in said receiver for storing energy when said hammer is moved away from the end of said rod, means mounted on said receiver for releasing said slide from the pins on said bolt to thereby release said hammer after a predetermined movement in said receiver whereby the energy of said a spring means is released to drive said hammer against the end of said rod, means mounted on said hammer for retrieving said hammer after it has struck said rod, and spring means coupled-to said slide means for bringing said slide into contact with the pin on said hammer to eturn said hammer to its initial position against the end of said rod when said push-button is released to damp 7 any further vibration of said rod'and to return thepushbutton to its unactivated position.

5. A mechanical transmitter for use in a remote control system comprising a rod having a natural resonant frequency which is transmitted in a longitudinal mode when said rod is struck on an end thereof, a receiver positioned in alignment with one end of said rod, a hammer having a stud and a pin thereon mounted for axial movement in said receiver with the hammer being in contact with said end of said rod, a bolt having apair of pins thereon mounted on said hammer for axial movementin said receiver, the stud of said hammer passed through said bolt and secured for movement therewith by a spring and a clip mounted on said stud, a slide means riding on said receiver in contact with the pins on said bolt, a push-button coupled to said slide means which bears on the pins of said bolt for moving said hammer away from the end of said rod when said push-button and carried in said receiver for storing energy when said hammer is moved away from the end of said rod, means mounted on said receiver for releasing said slide from the pins on said bolt to thereby release said hammer after a predetermined movement in said receiver whereby an;

energy of said spring means is released to drive said hammer against the end of said rod, means in said receiver for restricting the movement of said bolt to load said spring, said stud thereby retrieving said hammer after it has struck said rod, and spring means coupled to said slide means for bringing said slide into contact with the pin on said hammer to return said hammer to its initial position against the end of said rod thereby damping any further vibration of said rod and returning the pushbutton to its unactivated position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Adel i Apr. 11, 1961 

